A Future Lost
by DeathsFool
Summary: Lucina and her friends may have saved the future, but how did such a future come to pass? How did Robin, the Gransmaster of Ylisse become what he did? A tale of a doomed future and the men and women that tried -and failed- to stop the darkness.
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**Chapter 0: Prologue**

The tears weren't there.

He knew he was supposed to feel something, _anything_, and yet…

His fists clenched tighter around his mother's final letter to him, its words still haunting him.

…he felt numb to it all.

And so, Robin simply stood there, dimly aware of the priest saying his mother's final rites as she was lowered to the cold, uncaring ground.

There was no one else beside him, the local priest and the undertaker of the latest village he and his mother had fled to. No one else to mourn the passing of a woman who might have just saved everyone through her actions.

A woman who had sacrificed everything to ensure the world's safety.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Robin grinned at his new friends, "Okay, see you tomorrow!" he called out_ _happily, having just spend the afternoon playing with them._

"_Dibs on the Hero-King!" one of them, a boy whose name Robin could not remember said._

"_No way! I want to be the Hero-King!" another replied._

_Robin's smile widened as he saw his new friends leave even as they bickered amongst themselves. That smile quickly began to fade as he approached his new home._

_He tried to cheer himself up. He'd made new friends! In spite of everything, in spite of being new and looking foreign, he'd made new friends!_

_And yet he found himself unable to muster any kind of cheer as he opened the door leading to his humble abode. They'd never had a lot of money and his mother was quite the frugal woman._

"_Robin?" her voiced called out as he entered._

"_It's me." He replied, his voice barely above a murmur._

"_Good," his mother stepped into his sight, "pack your bags."_

_He felt as though he'd been punched. "W-what?"_

"_Pack your bags," she commanded, "we need to leave."_

"_B-but…"_

"_No buts. Make haste!" her tone was one of finality._

"_But you said we might be able to stay here!" Robin found his voice, anger and betrayal coursed within him._

_Her expression changed from emotions he could not recognize before finally settling on a cold, strict frown, "I said pack your bags."_

"_No! Why do we keep moving around like this?!" Robin demanded angrily, feeling tears well up in his eyes, "It's not fair! I made friends!"_

_She slapped him. Hard. Robin fell on his back, stunned._

"_That's not important," she levelled her glare down at him, "Pack. Your. Bags. I will not tell you again."_

_Too frightened to scare his mother, whom he knew from previous experience that she would hit him again if he disobeyed, Robin did so, tears flowing freely from his eyes now._

"_Done?" she asked._

_He nodded mutely, unable to meet her gaze._

"_Good." she seemed to hesitate and tentatively reached out to him, causing him to flinch and subconsciously take a step back._

_Her hand froze and fell. He heard her sigh._

"_Robin, once we find a new village, I promise I'll buy you some of those sweet cakes you like so much, okay?" she asked, her voice now back to her normal tone._

_He once again nodded mutely._

_She sighed once more. "C'mon, let's g-"_

_A loud explosion interrupted her. The ground shook and they both stumbled as they strove to maintain their balance._

_Robin looked up, his eyes wide. "W-what's going on?"_

_His mother swore. "They've found us. We need to leave. Now!" she took his hand and slammed the door open._

"_F-found us? Who?" and then his mouth fell open as he finally took in the view before him. The air was filled with smoke and blood, clogging his nose, making him gag._

_Hell._

_That was the only word he could find that could describe what this once idyllic village had become. People screamed and ran around the place even as it burned down around them. Further down, he managed to catch a glimpse of the town's watch desperately trying to hold off cloaked men who mercilessly cut down all who stood in their way._

"_Don't look! Keep running!" his mother yelled at him, her voice barely audible over the wails and screams coming from the town in spite of their proximity._

"_B-but my friends!" Robin screamed, still tripping over his own feet._

"_They're already dead! Keep running, don't look back!" his mother nearly begged as she dragged him away. Away from what had been the happiest afternoon in his life thus far. _

_And so, they fled the all consuming fires._

* * *

Robin smiled grimly as he remembered that night and the subsequent explanation his mother had given him. He stopped complaining whenever his mother said they needed to flee after that.

"Damn Plegians, look at him, smiling at his own mother's death." He heard the undertaker mutter under his breath.

If only he knew. The undertaker and the priest left shortly after, their duty done and feeling no connection to this foreigner that had shown up on their village a few short days ago.

Robin approached the unmarked grave. "I…I feel I should say something." His lips twisted into a bitter smile, "Truth be told, I don't think I ever loved you," he finally felt something stir within him. Regret? Grief? "But I will miss you."

In hindsight, he realized how much this woman had done for him, how much she had lost because of him.

"I…I'll miss you." He repeated, shocked by how true the words were.

Robin looked up at the sky and remembered a prayer he had heard a long time ago. "May you find solace and peace. May you never be forgotten. May your sacrifices be forever remembered. To the gods I offer this humble plea," he said quietly, feeling the familiar and unwanted presence of tears beginning to form, "grant her rest. Grant her happiness-"

A single tear fell.

"-and grant me the strength to find my path."

* * *

"I will need provisions," Robin stated calmly, "I have the gold to pay for it."

The shopkeeper had glared at him suspiciously when he'd entered the store, but the word "gold" seemed to placate him.

Greed.

Robin suppressed a bitter smile.

"Planning to travel?" the shopkeeper asked gruffly.

"Indeed," Robin nodded, "at least 3 days." He placed his rucksack over the counter. He also drew his coin pouch.

The shopkeeper stared at Robin's coin pouch and nodded. "Where to? Gonna need a lot of waterskins?"

Prejudice.

Still, at least this was understandable. Robin was more than aware of his Plegian appearance. This time he did not suppress the smile. "No, Ylisstol."

His mother would have killed him if she knew his plans, he mused.

The shopkeeper's eyebrow rose suspiciously, at least until Robin jiggled the coin pouch. He shrugged and began to place salted foods and a decently sized waterskin into Robin's rucksack.

"If you don't mind me asking, what does a Plegian want to do in the capital?" he asked.

Robin's bitter smile widened. "Offer my aid."

The man snorted and handed him back his rucksack. In return, Robin passed the coin pouch at him before leaving the store, heading towards the main road.

'_I hope you are as reasonable as they say, Prince Chrom.'_

**End**

* * *

**Author's note:**

Yeah, I know, pretty late for a Fire Emblem Awakening fic, but what the hell, it's not as if I can afford 3 Houses yet.

As for the story itself, I don't think I've seen too many authors write about the original timeline, the one where Lucina and co. came from. Or at the very least, I haven't found any.

This will follow Robin and eventually Chrom until, well, it's spoilers, but I'm going to assume everyone here already knows what happens, [SPOLERS] Lucina jumps into the portal. In my headcanon, OG Robin would have his full memories and therefore be a little less…_social _than the Robin we're familiar with, not to mention having a whole lot of other assorted problems due to knowing who, or rather, _what_ he is.

Anyway, I've been trying to practice my "show, don't tell" approach as well as trying (and failing miserably) to depict emotions, but I'm an overgrown manchild with the mental maturity of a 12 yeard old, so I think it was kind of meh.

All I can say is that I hope I can at the very least make it interesting. Any and all criticism is appreciated.


	2. Chapter 1: Fortuitous meeting

**Chapter 1: Fortuitous meeting**

Robin let out a deep sigh as he continued his trek. It had been a trying journey, but he was now close to the capital of Ylisse. After much deliberation, he had decided that joining the Ylissian military would be the last resort. A meeting with the Exalt and hopefully the prince, was his first choice.

He frowned thoughtfully as he recalled the previous town's crier announcing a Plegian attack on the Ylissean's southern borders. That brought the number of attacks this month to 7 that he knew about.

'_They're intensifying their attacks…_' he mused to himself.

He could only guess at their reasons, but frankly, none of those reasons were beneficial to him. Ylisse could not be allowed to fall.

Robin glanced down at the back of his hand, where the familiar birthmark lay and shuddered.

No, the fall of Ylisse, a nation under whose shadow he could hide, was not a desirable or even an acceptable outcome.

He hastened his pace. With some luck, he would reach Southtown before night fell.

* * *

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Lissa, youngest sister of Chrom demanded.

"We are, we are! Trust me a little." Chrom replied, hands held up in a placating manner.

Lissa glared at him before shifting her gaze to the stalwart knight that always accompanied Chrom.

"Frederick, are going in the right direction?" she asked him.

"Oh, c'mon!" Chrom protested his sister's lack of faith in him.

Frederick the Wary's lips twitched. "We are, milady. We should be arriving at Southtown shortly."

"Well, I hope that's true, because I-," Lissa suddenly stopped and pointed, "wait, who's that?"

"Who?"

* * *

Robin let out a deep breath.

It was actually comforting, lying under the shade of a tree and looking up at the clouds. Exhaustion had finally caught up to him and he'd found himself unable to keep moving forward.

Still, this really wasn't too bad.

At least until he heard someone approach him. Robin tensed and prepared to draw his blade if needed.

"Well met, friend." A male voice called out.

Robin groaned softly as he forced himself up. 3 days of non-stop travel had really taken a toll on him.

"There are better places to sleep than on the ground." The same voice called out and a gloved hand was held before him.

Robin gratefully took it and was pulled up, coming face to face with a blue haired man. "Thank you."

"Are you alright?" Robin turned to face a new, female voice and found himself looking at a small, blonde woman who was closely accompanied by a knight.

"Yes, I was simply resting my legs." Robin admitted idly, wondering whether he should keep moving when realization struck him.

He froze. Blue hair? A young, blonde woman?

Could they be?

He glanced at the blue haired man and noticed his blade.

'_That's-!'_

"Prince Chrom!" Robin exclaimed, falling to his knee.

"Rise, friend. There really is no need for such formality." The prince replied with an easy smile.

Robin did so, hesitantly.

"Milord!" the knight, whom Robin could only assume was Frederick, the watchdog of the Ylissean royal family exclaimed, his hand grasping the hilt of his blade, "This man is a Plegian!"

Chrom blinked and then looked at Robin.

"Furthermore, this man is armed!" Frederick interposed himself between them.

He silently cursed the knight's perceptiveness even as he felt impressed by it. His bronze sword and tome were barely visible from behind his robe.

Robin held his hands up. "Peace, sir! I bear you no ill will."

'_Damn it all!'_ he thought to himself. This was hardly how he had envisioned his first meeting with the prince going. Worst part was that the prince's gaze had become wary, _'And here I thought you were a reasonable man.'_ He thought to himself bitterly.

Frederick snorted. "You will forgive me if I do not take you at your word, _sir_."

"Peace, Frederick," Chrom said, placing one hand over the knight's pauldron, "let's hear the man out at least."

"But milord!" the knight protested.

"Oh, just give it a rest, Frederick! I'm sure the 3 of us can take him on if things go south!" Lissa chimed in.

Frederick looked like he was about to protest, but caught between Lissa's cheerful declaration and his liege's determined expression, he knew it was futile. He let go of his blade and sighed, "Very well, milord," he then glared at Robin, "try anything and you won't live long enough to regret it."

Robin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Now then, what is your story, friend?" the prince asked him.

Perhaps the rumors were correct and the prince was a reasonable man.

"It has to do with Plegia's incursions into your country, milord." He replied cautiously, testing the words in his mind before saying them.

The prince's expression hardened. "What is it?" his tone was strict but not unkind.

Robin winced. He hadn't expected to be put on the spot like this.

How much should he tell them?

"Well? Answer the question, _sir._" Frederick cut in.

Robin closed his eyes for a few brief seconds before reopening them, meeting the prince's gaze, "I…I have some insider information as to the ongoings of the country, and I can tell you that this goes further than simple raids."

"Go on." Prince Chrom replied.

Judging by what he'd seen and from what his mother had told him, the Plegain nobility had one goal.

And the first step towards that goal…

"They intend to provoke you into a war."

Frederick snorted. "We could all guess as much. Is that all?"

Robin shook his head. "You do not understand. This isn't simply a war of conquest or retribution. The king is after something else entirely as well."

"What? What is he after?" Lissa asked.

"The Fire Emblem."

* * *

"Alright, let's say we believe you," the knight posited, "how would you know all of this? And what do you hope to accomplish by giving us this information?"

Robin massaged his temples in frustration. After he had revealed the king's objective, he had been barraged with questions from all 3 of the Ylisseans and he was developing a migraine.

"I…" Robin paused, "…someone important to me told me all that she could about Plegia's objectives for the upcoming future," he looked down at the ground, "she no longer lives, but she made sure I understood why it would not be in my best interest for Plegia to have their way," Robin then looked at the prince, "and I am hoping I can be of some assistance against them."

Prince Chrom's eyes widened. "What?"

"You expect us to believe that?" one of Frederick's eyebrows rose.

"I would not be risking my life here if I were not being honest, _sir_." Robin made sure to stress out the word "sir", finally growing tired of the knight's hostility.

In a gesture mirroring the knight's previous move, the prince put himself between them, "Peace."

"But milord, this man cou-" Frederick tried, only to be interrupted by the prince.

"I'm sorry, friend, Frederick here is an excellent knight, but he's too cynical for his own good." He said placatingly.

Robin understood it for what it was and accepted the olive branch. "I understand. Such loyalty is admirable."

Frederick grumbled as Lissa giggled and made some jabs at Frederick, the Eternally Wary.

"Now, then, why does the Plegian king want the Fire Emblem?" Prince Chrom asked.

Robin suppressed the urge to grimace and ultimately decided that this was not the time to tell them the whole truth.

"The Fire Emblem is an important symbol, not just religiously, but nationally, as some claim it represents the spirit of Ylisse," he began, measuring his words, testing them, "there are even those that claim that it will bring salvation when the end comes..."

Fools, the whole lot of them. What could an overglorified shield do against _it_?

"…it's loss would not only damage morale, but increase Plegia's prestige while diminishing Ylisse's." He continued.

All technically true.

"The Plegian King hopes that such an action will increase support for a war of aggression, bolstering his numbers with eager volunteers." He finished.

Deflection. One of the first tricks he had learnt from his mother.

"T-that's…" Princess Lissa looked aghast.

Bring focus to one issue to avert overt suspicion of another. To be fair, however, if all went according to plan, the other issue would become irrelevant.

"Troubling news…" Frederick murmured. Although still distrustful of this stranger, his words did make a certain sense.

The prince frowned thoughtfully. "You claimed you could be of assistance to us?"

Robin met the prince's eyes. "That's correct, milord." He stated resolutely.

The prince seemed to size him up before nodding to himself. "Allow me to ask you a few more questions then."

Robin nodded.

"Why?" the prince asked simply.

Not having expected such a simple question, Robin's confidence faltered. "Excuse me?"

"Why act against your countrymen? Why bring this information to me?" the prince elaborated.

In spite of his attempts to quash it, he felt a surge of anger rise within him.

_HIS_ countrymen? _HIS?!_

The very people that had made his life a living hell?!

"They're not!" Robin spat vehemently, "I've seen what they do and what they're willing to burn to achieve their aims. They are NOT my countrymen and gods willing, I will _die_ before I call myself one of them." He was breathing heavily by the end of his rant, which is when he noticed Lissa was hiding behind Frederick.

Even the stalwart knight looked a little troubled.

"And here I thought I had a problem with Plegia." Chrom commented idly, an amused look on his face.

Damn. He had not intended to rant at the prince like this.

Robin took a deep breath and bowed, "Please forgive my outburst, milord," he straightened up and made sure to meet the prince's eyes, "and believe me when I say they are not friends of mine and I will do what I can to ensure they fail."

Chrom looked at him in the eyes and then nodded, "I no longer doubt your sincerity, but I still need to know: Why help me? Why help Ylisse?" the prince asked.

Why indeed. His mother, the one that kept him alive until now would have wanted him to keep fleeing from one place to another, remaining one step ahead of his enemies but never truly finding peace.

Robin gave the prince a bitter smile. "Vengeance."

And if it were at all possible, if the gods were not cruel, maybe he would find his freedom as well.

The mark on his hand seemed to mock him.

'_Yes… I doubt it too.'_

* * *

**Author's Note:** I sincerely hope I did not bore any of you with this super dialogue heavy chapter. I need to lay the foundations for the rest of the story, however.

Other than that, Christ almighty, I really need to find more commonly used English phrases and read a thesaurus sometime.

Hope you all enjoyed and as always, all criticism is gratefully accepted.

Cheers!


End file.
